Artemis Fowl: Brain Waves and Jail Breaks
by CESmith372
Summary: Holly Short will do whatever it takes to cure Artemis. Her plans are put on hold when an old enemy begins meddling with his treatment. Holly is sure Opal Koboi is responsible. Or does someone more nefarious want out of prison? Sequel to previous fic!
1. Chapter 1

This is a sequel to a story I wrote eons ago-a sequel in the sense that I am using one of the characters from it in this new story. Obviously, it takes place after the Atlantis Complex. Most of the context about 'OC' characters in the story is self-explanatory.

* * *

They called her because there were no options left.

Athena Woodbridge had been working diligently at her desk in the dead of night when a faint vibrating caught her attention. She couldn't quite pinpoint the sound, so she hurried through the dark room, checking drawers and cabinets—until she found it.

Her fairy communicator was caked with dust and sitting underneath some old inventions she'd tinkered with in her free time. There was a faint glow from the screen as the device continued to ring.

"Hello?" She began slowly.

An even more hesitant voice responded.

"Athena Woodbridge?"

"Yes," She said, "Is this, I mean, Holly?"

There was an awkward silence. "It is. I'm calling because we need your help."

Athena's stomach dropped. "Is everything okay?"

"I'd feel more comfortable explaining the situation in Haven. I've sent a shuttle for you. You'll come, won't you?"

She looked to her desk, where her work had consumed her.

"Well, I…."

"It's about Artemis."

Athena closed her laptop and began putting her shoes on.

"When will the shuttle be here?"

* * *

The pilot was eerily silent when he appeared shimmering by her window. He had loaded her into their craft—also invisible—without a word of warning. Athena had surpassed confused by the sudden communication of her old acquaintances.

But it was clear something was wrong with Artemis Fowl.

By all standards, this admission by Holly should have made her more eager to hang up the phone and continue with her work. Their romance—if that's even an apt name for the disaster—had gone poorly. Athena, also a genius, had helped save Haven from evil little mongrels that seemed to overrun their world. Artemis Fowl sorely misinterpreted a fleeting attraction during their adventure for something much more important. His calls became infrequent at best in a matter of weeks.

Athena was happy with the development. Despite Arts' insistence that he had 'turned a new leaf', he still had no capacity for human emotion and was a jerk, quite frankly.

His attitude, though, was not enough to completely squelch the remaining tendrils of romantic feelings she vehemently protested against having for him. She could not begin to fathom the trouble he had gotten himself into if _she _was being called. And Holly certainly didn't seem like herself either—her voice was coarse and dejected, with dull tones that filled the room with negative weights.

When she reached Haven, bumping through the underground and into the secret city of the elf-folk, she was not led to the Police Plaza, like she expected.

Instead, she was taken to what looked like a very austere mental health institution. With all the white, straight lines and an utter lack of personality, it was a wonder people didn't stay crazy. The sign out front proclaimed the clinic apart of "The Psych Brotherhood".

She was led silently through the door and to the very bottom of the building. There seemed to be intense security measures available in the facility—retina scans, concrete doors and whirring cameras all followed her, but there were no guards around. They finally reached a viewing room that was filled with people.

Athena stepped inside after thanking the pilot.

The room was a long, white (of course) rectangle. On one wall, there was a window that was covered at the moment. On her side, there was an arsenal of monitors, screens, and a small table where 'the whole gang' was sitting.

Captain Holly Short stood (although it didn't make much of a difference) first.

"Athena, I'm glad you're here."

She gave an awkward wave and looked around the rest of the room.

Butler, Foaly, and Angeline Fowl were among the others there. Butler looked, as usual, as responsive as a brick wall, but Mrs. Fowl was sobbing gently into a handkerchief. Foaly seemed downtrodden as well, but his eyes were sparkling when he spotted the Mud Girl.

"I knew you'd come—I knew it. Fancy a look at the genius inventions I've made since I last saw you?"

Athena snorted. "Like I haven't been keeping tabs on them, pony boy."

Foaly's semblance of ego faded and he pouted in his place. She smiled despite the morbidity surrounding her, then turned to Holly.

"I couldn't begin to brainstorm ideas about why you would want me here."

The elf sighed. "It's about Artemis."

Athena furrowed her brow. "Is he hurt? I can assure you my medical degree from Harvard is completely fabricated, I can't-,"

"He's not hurt physically."

She understood immediately, but was surprised.

"Artemis has had a mental breakdown?"

Holly walked over the large window in front of them.

"Not quite. Because of his exposure to magic and the guilt of his past crimes, Artemis has developed what's called The Atlantis Complex. One stage of the disorder includes a split personality-his is named Orion."

"Orion?" Athena began, grinning, "Cute. Even Artemis' subconscious is a genius."

"We have tried everything to help him," Holly continued sadly, clenching her fist, "But nothing is helping. He is slipping further into psychosis."

She nodded deftly. "And that's where I come in. A last stitch effort. Lucky for you, I picked up a PhD in psychology over my absence."

Foaly interjected. "We don't need so much expertise as we do emotional impact. Orion has taken over Artemis' body, and when Artemis is around, he is largely unresponsive."

"Can I see him?"

Holly flipped the switch beside the window.

Artemis was sitting in a single chair in front of a metal table, fidgeting with a gold coin. His hair and clothes were completely disheveled. What frightened Athena most was his face—paler than it had ever been, amplifying the dark circles under his eyes that were void of emotion. He was mumbling to himself, the words barely audible through the speaker. Most of the time, he was just counting.

Angeline gave a muffled sob at the sight of her son again. She looked up with a watery expression.

"You will be able to help him, won't you?"

Athena collected her words carefully.

"I will try my best. But if the team here was unsuccessful…." She stopped and sighed, "I was just never very important to him, you see."

"You meant something," Holly assured her, "At least for a while. We are desperate for progress."

Athena glanced hesitantly towards the door.

"I'll do my best."

* * *

Athena wasn't necessarily frightened to face Artemis Fowl in this state. She knew him, and knew that no part of his brain, no matter how battered, could be violent. She, more than the others, felt deep empathy for him.

Somewhere deep in his conscious, the real Artemis was watching as his life and reputation feel apart. His embarrassment and hopelessness were no doubt contributing to his deteriorating condition. She stepped inside the room hesitantly, her black suit making her stick out like a sore thumb in the blindingly white room.

Artemis immediately stood erect once he heard the door.

"Who's there?" He demanded, his voice strained.

"Artemis? It's me, Athena Woodbridge."

She walked over and knelt down beside him. Before she could speak again, he jolted up.

"Four! Four! Four! Four! Death! Sixteen—you're name has sixteen letters! G-Get out!"

Athena reeled back at his abrupt proclamation.

"Four? I don't…." She sighed, "Four resembles death in…Chinese. It's okay, Artemis, just called me Athena. That has six letters."

He began turning the name over in his head.

"Athena…Athena…."

She was horrified by his condition and walked back over to him. She put her palm on his forehead and pushed his hair off his head.

"Oh, Artemis…"

Athena sat on the table beside him. He had gone back to playing with his coin.

She shook him to get his attention.

"How has your treatment been going? Why do you think you haven't been improving?"

A glimpse of sanity passed through his eyes.

"The shock therapy….is temporarily potent. But then…."

He looked back down. "I leave and it's hard to come back."

Athena gently rubbed his back. She was impressed how he did not seem to mind her contact with him. She was hoping to soothe him.

"Tell me about Orion."

"He's an idiot."

"I would imagine he is a manifestation of your emotional side? A bit naïve, to be sure, but he probably embarrasses you, right, Artemis?"

Artemis nodded, still looking down.

"He thinks that because he…" He stopped and began counting on his fingers.

"Go ahead, Artemis, ten words is a multiple of five."

"He thinks that because he saved some lives he gets to be out forever."

Artemis gave a sigh of relief and slumped in his chair.

"Fifteen. Three fives."

"They say that this Atlantis Complex stems from a guilty conscious of your crimes," Athena began, stooping down beside him, "So would it help if I told you that you are an incredibly brave and good-hearted man?"

"You'd be lying."

She smiled slightly. "Artemis, you've saved a lot of lives, I know."

"How do you know?" He asked abruptly, turning to her.

"Well, I've heard-,"

"You've been watching me!" He accused shrilly, pointing an accusatory finger at her.

"No, Artemis, please, I-,"

"You do not belong here! You are jealous o-of my inventions and my genius!" Artemis cowered down onto the floor with his knees pulled up near his chin. "You're after me! You're here for revenge!"

She tried her best not to be offended by his accusations and fend off his paranoia.

It wasn't going well.

Artemis began thrashing his arms to scare her off.

"I want to go away!"

Athena rushed over to him and grabbed his shoulder, but he had already gone limp. When he opened his eyes, she gave a sigh of relief.

"Artemis-,"

"My name isn't Artemis."

She looked down at the teenager beneath her, who was smiling idly.

"Orion?"

Athena stepped back. "How did you….?"

He stood. "As Artemis has deteriorated, I've gained more control. Which means I can be conscious as much as I please." Orion rushed to the window and pressed his face against the smooth surface.

"Oh, my fair princess, where art thou?"

"Excuse me?"

"I await the entrance of my fair maiden Holly Short," He replied, then turned to her.

"Artemis does not like you."

Athena crossed her arms over her chest.

"No, Orion, _you _are afraid of me."

He thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

"Artemis was not expecting to see you. He was afraid you would be angry with him. He is embarrassed that you saw him this way."

Athena stepped closer to him, but he stepped back, his arms raised.

"Do not harm me, hotly dragon, I come in peace."

"Did you just call me a _dragon_?"

Orion nodded vigorously again. "You are here to incite your wrath against Artemis after he broke your heart." He made a few jabbing motions.

"And you wish to incinerate me for my undying love of Holly Short!"

Athena looked into the window and snorted. "I can imagine the feeling isn't mutual."

She thought for a moment, massaging her temple.

"Orion?"

"Yes, fearsome dragon?"

"Can I please have Artemis back?"

"No, I am afraid not. I will not cease until I capture the love of-,"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. And shocking you won't bring Artemis back?"

Orion smiled proudly. "I have overcome the powers of electroshock therapy and can leave or come whenever I please."

"I have a feeling your strength is partially responsible for Artemis' poor condition."

He lurched at her unexpectedly. "Dragon, if you insist to threaten my presence I will be forced to take action against you."

"I have a gun, Orion, are you sure that's really what you want to do?"

And even though she didn't actually have a gun, Orion seemed convinced. His face paled and he backpedaled.

"Help! Help! She's going to kill me!"

Athena rolled her eyes.

"I cannot do this."

She stormed back through the door and into the observation room.

"Really? Really, Short? You couldn't mention to me how much of a pain in the ass this Orion kid was?"

Holly shook her head, smiling slightly. "I had no idea he would take to you so….violently."

Athena pointed to the alternate personality, who was making kissing faces at the wall.

"_That _is your problem. He's sucking the life force out of Artemis for his own gain."

"I normally wouldn't have a problem with that, but Orion is worse than Artemis," Foaly remarked, "And that's saying something."

"A higher voltage of electroshock therapy should paralyze Orion long enough for Artemis to take control temporarily," Athena said, "But…that's not exactly a humane option."

"Without therapy, Orion will stay for days," Holly lamented, "And he never shuts up."

Athena had another idea. "Can I borrow your gun, Captain?"

"No."

She held out her hand, shaking it.

"It's against protocol, I understand. But I won't shoot, I promise."

Holly raised an eyebrow. "What are you planning to do?"

Athena grinned. "Get Artemis back, of course. It's just going to take a different method of persuasion."

Holly reluctantly handed her a Neutrino 2000 and Athena burst back into Orion's holding cell. She pointed the gun straight at his forehead.

"Hello, Orion. The dragon is back—and I will blow fire."

* * *

I would be much obliged for a review :)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Orion yelped when he saw her, peddling backwards into his chair.

"Help! Help me!"

Athena stepped closer to him, trying to look as monstrous as possible.

"Do exactly what I say, Orion, and I will spare you."

"What is it you want, horrid demon?" He cried.

She rolled her eyes. "Bring Artemis back."

"No! No, I want to stay!" Orion jumped around the chair and picked it up, like she was a misbehaved lion.

"If you stay, you have to deal with me. And I will shoot you."

The alternate personality seemed to believe her, as his emotions regarding her had trained him to do, and he dropped the chair, letting it clatter on the metal floor.

"Don't think I will let your threats affect me for long, dragon!" He exclaimed, "For I will return to save myself and my fair maiden from your wrath!"

Just as he finished speaking, he toppled to the ground in a network of limbs. Athena dropped her gun and rushed over to him.

"Artemis?"

The boy sat up and shook his head.

"What do you think of the number seven?"

Athena, despite the circumstances, was relieved. They had found a way to successfully coax Artemis into the open.

She put her hand on the side of his head.

"Your subconscious is really that afraid of me?"

He looked at her, void of the evil glare that she was so accustomed to.

"Mother told me hell hath no wrath like a woman scorned."

Athena laughed. "If you weren't out of your mind right now, I'd show you just how true that is."

Artemis didn't seem perturbed by her statement, but she was hoping in the deep recesses of his mind, Orion was trembling.

Athena looked across the room and saw the coin he was so enamored with sitting on the ground. It had a hole shot straight through the middle and was clearly sentimental. She reached over and handed it to him. Artemis took it greedily and rubbed it between his fingers, content again.

Athena squeezed his shoulder, smiling sadly.

"Aurum Potestas Est," She whispered to him, and left the room.

* * *

When she was back in the monitoring station, another figure was standing in the room. He was a short, broad elf with thick glasses and a white lab coat. His face was wrinkled except for the skin on his exceptionally pointy nose.

He introduced himself as Dr. J. Argon, Artemis' fairy psychologist. Athena was a bit more harried with her introduction.

"I'm Athena Woodbridge. Artemis'…." She stopped and scratched her head, "Old friend…?"

The doctor nodded. "I see. Well, you do have a way with his alternate personality. Having the real Artemis around will certainly expedite his healing process."

Athena was alarmed by the implication she would be doing anything more than a congenial visit to Artemis.

"I'm not useful enough to possibly merit..." She cleared her throat. "I can't stay."

"You're the only person who Orion is afraid of," Holly protested, "If you leave, he'll have free reign again."

"Afraid of? Have you seen Butler?"

The bodyguard shook his head. "Orion knows, like Artemis does, that I can't hurt them."

"I…." Athena buried her face in her hand. "Listen, Artemis seems like he needs a lot more help than just keeping his alternate personality at bay."

"We can't get him that help if Orion is the one taking control," Dr. Argon interjected.

"I'm…I'm really sorry, I just have other obligations, I can't stay here forever." Athena began making her way to the door, but a cold hand stopped her. It was Angeline Fowl.

Athena gave an internal groan—playing the mother card, really? On the girl who never had one?

"I understand that you didn't spend much time in Artemis' life," She began tearfully, tightening her grip, "But perhaps you could stay just for a few more days…. so we can get some progress. Please, I'd pay you anything-,"

Athena slid from her grasp. "I don't want any money, Mrs. Fowl."

"I'm just asking you, as a mother…."

The rest of the room knew that was the wrong thing to say. Athena clenched her jaw tightly, turning to Holly.

"If you let me return to the surface tonight and settle my affairs, I will act as your little scare tactic for Orion for two weeks—which is more than generous, I think, for someone who's practically a stranger to me."

"I wouldn't call him so much a stranger as someone who intentionally wants to avoid you," Foaly countered.

Athena smiled curtly at him. "Always so tactful, pony boy, how _do_ you do it?"

"Watching you."

She rolled her eyes and turned to Holly. "I'm hoping you can arrange for a shuttle to take me topside, soon? Tell the pilot I will be waiting in the lobby."

"Of course," Holly replied, pulling out her communicator, "And thank you, for what it's worth. I wouldn't ask you to stay if we thought we could do this without you."

"If only you could."

* * *

Athena waited in an awkwardly-sized chair for about five minutes before two black-clad fairies walked into the facility. They stuck out, snapping at each other and pushing in the doorway, until they spotted her.

They were both decided ugly and bulky for fairies and their voices only matched their inability to be inauspicious.

"Hello there, Mud Girl," one of them said.

Athena raised an eyebrow. "Can I help you?"

The other stared at her with odd-looking eyes.

"Your shuttle is waiting. Follow us."

She was doubtful the two were really here from LEP to escort her to the surface, but a quality in his voice was so convincing, she stood up.

Without a word, she followed the two men out the door.

* * *

_Artemis' Mind_

These guys were idiots.

Artemis was sitting at his 'mind desk' seconds after Athena left his monitoring room, when Orion thought it was high-time for him to take over their body again. He sat watching the screen in front of him, where his life was falling apart because of an imbecile they called his 'alternate personality'.

Conveniently, while Artemis sat mired in what was left of his reputation, his mind had created a bit of 'office space' for him in the deepest corners of his cerebrum—all an allusion, of course, but Artemis was seeing a lot of allusions, lately.

He was displeased to see the late Athena Woodbridge appear in his room that day. They had been involved—if that's even the word for it—for a _very _short time a very_ long_ time ago. He was even more embarrassed that Orion seemed to magnify the small fear he had of what she would do if they ever saw each other again.

Alas, though, Athena had made progress. This means that Holly probably negotiated a much longer stay for her than just a jolt of emotion to get Artemis out of his deepening psychosis.

She was much less impressive than he remembered. Her hair was longer, but mostly limp, and she had traded in her skirt-suits and heels for slacks and penny-loafers. And her IQ was only what—195?

_Simpleton_, Artemis thought to himself, leaning back into his chair. He should have known engaging a girl who didn't match his 200+ intelligence level was trouble.

Despite her setbacks, though, Artemis was marginally excited she was able to place some kind of lid on the uncontrollable (and intolerable) urges of Orion Fowl. Instead of just electric shocks dictating their switches, Artemis found himself completely powerless against the wishes of his other-self, and it was driving him crazy. Or crazier, at least.

He knew his condition was deteriorating and it was killing him to be unable to hold himself to the stringent character principles he had previously. Logical thought, complete sentences and witty word play all fell apart in the face of his obsession with order and numbers.

What he hated the most, though, was that his sanity seemed to hinge upon the one girl who drove him completely, well, bonkers.

* * *

Athena was not impressed at how her fairy 'captors' utilized their magical abilities. Their _mesmer_ consisted of 'watch out for the car' and 'don't say anything, Mud Girl'—all of which she would have done anyway. They led her through dark alleys away from the prying eyes of the fairy folk, some of whom had probably never even caught wind of a human.

It had been a mere five minute walk before they burst into a deserted building that was boarded up at the front. Athena walked inside, studying her dark surroundings and the lack of decorum of her kidnappers.

They sat her down in the only chair in the room, illuminated solely by the cracks coming from the blocked windows.

"Sit," one said.

Athena sat, knees straight, with her hands hanging by her side.

"Answer every question we ask truthfully," he said— the shorter, fatter fairy with a wart on his cheek.

"What are you doing in Haven?"

"I was brought here," She replied.

"Why?"

Athena just shrugged.

The fairy that was interrogating her was mildly suspicious.

"What were you doing in the mental facility? Were you visiting Artemis Fowl? Is he mentally unwell?"

She was intrigued at their interest in Fowl, but even more intrigued by the weapons at their holsters. They certainly weren't Neutrinos—she had just seen Holly's.

"I left before I was taken to any patients."

"That's a lie, now!" The other fairy exclaimed, his long, shaggy hair tucked in a hat. "H-How did she do that?"

His friend bunched up her suit shirt in his hand. "Are you lying to us?"

"No."

He studied her closely. "Hey, her eyes are-,"

Before he could say 'mirrored', Athena lifted her leg and kicked him square in the chest. As the other kidnapper reached for his gun, she swung around and jammed her foot into his neck. She bolted away towards the entrance after grabbing one of their weapons.

Shots and their yells followed her before she burst onto the open streets.

Probably not a good idea.

The fairies surrounding her stopped and gaped up at her. Some cried out for the police, probably because she was suddenly packing heat. Athena jogged down the street, searching for The Psych Brotherhood, before she accidently collided with someone underneath her.

By the helmet rolling from his side, Athena could surmise he was a LEP officer. She hastily rummaged through his pocket until she found a communicator, which was already buzzing. As luck would have it, Holly was calling.

Athena answered it.

"Hi there, Captain Short, I was just about to call you."

She was thoroughly confused.

"Athena? How did….Where are you?"

She looked down at the fairy pinned beneath her. "I seem to be on Trouble…."

"You mean in trouble?"

"No, I mean _on_ Trouble…."

The small figure squirmed out from beneath her and pulled his gun.

"Stay where you are, Mud Girl."

Athena raised her hands and gently spoke into the communicator.

"Now I'm in trouble."

* * *

Trouble Kelp was not pleased with the chain of events that happened so suddenly when Holly Short contacted him that afternoon. That always seemed to happen whenever she called him, really, but today was especially alarming.

"When exactly were you going to tell me that you brought a Mud Person down to Haven?" He demanded, once Athena was safety back into the facility and they were gathered in Artemis' monitoring room.

"I left a message on your communicator," Holly replied sheepishly, "It was supposed to be a subtle visit, I didn't think she'd go gallivanting off into the city!"

Athena raised her arms. "I was _kidnapped_, for the last time!"

The captain rolled her eyes. "How did you get away so fast, exactly?"

"They thought they could be coy and put me under the influence of _mesmer_," She explained, "But I slipped on my mirrored contacts before coming down here—you can never be too safe, you know. I pretended their attempts were working so I could figure out what they wanted. They were asking about Artemis."

"What did they want to know?" Trouble asked.

"If he was in the facility and if he was 'mentally unwell'."

"What did you tell them?" Holly demanded, her voice more urgent.

"I said no, don't have a heart attack," Athena said, fishing through her coat. "I also managed to pick up one of their weapons."

Foaly clopped over at the mention of an invention. She handed the gun to him.

"It wasn't like anything I recognized from LEP."

He studied it for a moment, then grimaced. "You wouldn't, it's not from us."

The centaur showed the embossed barrel to them all.

Koboi Laboratories.

* * *

Review!


	3. Chapter 3

Athena assumed that by the grim expressions of those surrounding her, 'Koboi Laboratories' was not a good omen.

"It could just be one of her weapons," Butler said hurriedly, "There's no-,"

"Impossible," Foaly interrupted, "All of her equipment was confiscated upon her arrest. The only way someone could have gotten this device is if she had a secret stash."

"I'm assuming this Koboi individual is another bad guy?" Athena volunteered hesitantly.

Holly sighed. "Opal Koboi is a criminal mastermind—and a crazy one, at that—who has caused a lot of problems for us in the past. She's imprisoned in Atlantis."

Athena snorted. "You guys own that too? Go figure."

"There is absolutely _no way_ that Opal is communicating with someone in Haven," Trouble remarked sternly, "It's impossible to escape from her cell—_impossible._"

Athena smiled slightly. "If I've learned something from hanging around you guys for a while, it's that impossible is a relative term."

"We can safely assume that Opal Koboi _is_ secured in Atlantis, for now," Holly said, massaging her temple, "But it's certainly possible that she's collated some contacts to do her work for her. She's quite good at that."

"Alright, so what does she want with me?" Athena asked.

Trouble glanced up at her. "Did your 'kidnappers' know who you were?"

"Well…." She stopped and thought for a moment. "No, actually, they called me Mud Girl." Athena snapped her fingers and rounded the table.

"Here me out for a minute, okay? So, Opal Koboi contacts two thugs to find out if Artemis Fowl is institutionalized. Since they're a few brain cells short of half my IQ, they think they can walk right in and start probing. _But_ when they see me, they rehash their plan—they'd been arguing—and interrogate me."

"Hold on," Foaly said, "How could they have possibly known you were there to see Artemis?"

Athena smiled slightly. "I have a feeling that every single Mud Person who has come down to Haven has some connection to Artemis Fowl, true?"

Holly gave a hesitant nod. "But that still doesn't explain why Opal Koboi is so interested in Artemis' condition…."

"If Artemis is incapacitated, her chances of succeeding in escaping do go up substantially," Butler said, glancing through the window at his young charge.

"What could she possibly want to do that she hasn't done already?" Foaly asked, obviously bitter at the mention of his arch enemy again, "I mean, take over the world, topple LEP—she's running out of options here."

"If I may," Dr. Argon said from the corner of the room, gesturing to his clip board, "Considering my evaluation of Miss Koboi and the recent breech of the Atlantis prison by one Turnball Root, perhaps she wants to prove her worth as a criminal again."

Athena, considering her shady background in the world of white-collar crime, gave an eager nod.

"That sounds like a criminal paradigm for a psychopath to me—and I would know." She stopped. "Because of the criminal part, not the other thing."

"That's a surprise," Foaly remarked, grinning.

"Cute joke, furry horse. Write it down so you won't forget to recycle it again in five minutes."

Butler turned to Holly. "Artemis is safe here, isn't he? And his identity is protected?"

"Opal Koboi is _not _going to break out of prison in Atlantis, whether Artemis is fully protected or not," Trouble repeated, his jaw clenched.

"That wasn't my question."

Holly grazed her hand across her short hair. "The security is decent, but we are at a bit of a disadvantage if Koboi is the threat."

"Why is that?"

Dr. Argon interjected again. "Artemis' cell used to belong to Miss Koboi."

Athena rolled her eyes. "Genius, really. She is probably very aware of how to bypass the security here. Sitting in a room alone gives one plenty of time to contemplate such matters."

"Opal Koboi is _not _going to break out of Atlantis!" Trouble exclaimed, much angrier this time.

Athena ignored him. "Do we need to move Artemis from Haven?"

Dr. Argon shook his head. "He needs to continue to receive treatment for-,"

"It's obvious the 'lock Arts in a room and shock him a few times a day' approach to curing this problem is not working," Athena interrupted, glancing back at Artemis, "Perhaps a break would be good for him."

"Since when did you become the authority on Atlantis Complex treatment?" Foaly asked sourly.

"Well, now that you mention it-,"

"I believe it's up to Mrs. Fowl what line of treatment we pursue for Artemis," Holly said tersely.

Angeline had been sitting quietly in the corner, listening to the group discuss the danger that her son was in. She clenched her hands tightly together.

"He needs to be safe above all else."

"Then it's settled," Athena said hurriedly, "He leaves Haven."

"How nice of you to volunteer your home for this effort," Trouble replied.

"Excuse me?"

Holly smiled slightly. "The Fowl Manor is the last place we should go. Your home in Chicago, on the other hand, is a prime hideout."

"That's…." Athena threw her hand up, "That's preposterous. My home is not going to be your pseudo-psych clinic for Artemis."

"Opal Koboi does not know who you are, ergo, she doesn't know where you live," Holly insisted, "Artemis will be safest there."

"That, and you've illegally laced your home security with fairy technology," Foaly added.

Athena ignored Trouble Kelp's death glare. "My home is not some refuge for the mentally deranged."

"It's funny you seem to think you have a choice in this matter," Holly remarked passively, "Artemis' safety is at risk—I won't take no for an answer."

And even though Athena offered 'no' as her final answer many times, Artemis and the gang—excluding Foaly and Mrs. Fowl—were loaded into a shuttle heading topside.

Athena contacted her father, Jonathan Woodbridge, and persuaded him to take a skiing trip for a few weeks while a hoard of squatter-fairies took over their humble abode.

"Aren't I allowed to bar you entry from my home?" Athena asked, once they were on a jet from Tara, Ireland to Chicago.

"Only if you'd like to get shot in the process," Holly replied.

During their flight, Artemis was huddled in the back of the plane beside Butler, counting on his fingers. He had been changed into his custom-tailored suit for the trip. In all honesty, he was probably a bit frightened by the outside world he had not caught light of for months during his treatment.

Every now and then, Athena would have to trudge to the back of the plane and bark a few death threats at the boy to keep Orion bottled in his subconscious. Artemis had even said thank you, once, as she threatened to smack him upside the head.

"You're welcome, I guess," She replied offhandedly, "But just so you know, you are long overstaying your welcome. I never liked you this much."

"She's lying," Butler whispered to him as she left.

"I heard that!"

* * *

Dr. Argon returned to Haven after he set up the proper monitoring equipment for Artemis in the second story guest room. Holly insisted that she stay, to Trouble Kelp's chagrin, but was granted her wish.

"So I'm assuming I have to feed all my ungrateful houseguests as well?" Athena asked, watching Artemis rearrange the decorative vases on a table.

"Such a gracious host," Butler mumbled under his breath, guiding Artemis across the room where he might cause less destruction.

As Athena was clopping down the grand curved staircase in her foyer, she stopped, her footsteps echoing through the high arched room. Her house was just as they had been it before. She glanced across the glassy tile to the door. That was the first—and last—place Athena had kissed Artemis Fowl.

She shook the memories hastily from her head, chastising herself, before hurrying off into the kitchen. Bland spaghetti with canned tomato sauce was on the menu for the late night.

"I don't have to be crazy to know this tastes terrible," Artemis had remarked.

"Lucid enough to criticize, how convenient," Athena sneered, although she knew he was right.

His clarity of mind did not last. Later that night, Athena caught him trying to remove a frame from the wall of her 'art' collection.

"What the hell are you doing?" She demanded, rushing over to him.

The piece was so heavy in his arms, he staggered backwards. Athena helped him lean it against the wall.

"There were four," He said breathlessly.

"Of course there's four!" She snapped, "It's the Constitution—there are _four _pages."

Artemis furrowed his brow and peeked into the glass. "Is it real?"

Athena rolled her eyes. "Of course it's real, Arts. I stole these…" She stopped and sighed, "As an act of rebellion, I guess, when my mother died."

"Why not…art?"

"My mother was an artist," Athena explained, "I guess I…didn't want to be reminded of her."

"You really should only have three pages up," He commented blankly, "Or maybe add one more to make five."

"I have a time machine in the basement, maybe we can go back to 1776 and ask the founding fathers if they'd kindly cut down a page."

"You couldn't build a time machine."

Athena grabbed him by his arm and dragged him up the marble stairs. "Orion is becoming a more attractive option for your personality, Arts. You'd better be careful."

"Don't call me that," He said deftly.

"What?"

"Arts," He replied, although his voice broke, "It has four letters."

She rolled her eyes. "Alright, _Artemis_, whatever you say. Now, goodbye."

That night, Butler and Holly agreed to patrol the perimeter of her mansion in shifts. Athena, unable to sleep, took refuge in the dimly lit kitchen in the back of the house.

She was most displeased when she heard Artemis shuffle in.

He rounded the black granite countertop in the darkness. He heard the clink of glass as he approached.

"What are you doing?"

Athena threw back a shot of something in the darkness, her face puckering up like she'd bitten into a lemon.

"Nothing, I just couldn't sleep."

He stood next to her, peering over her shoulder as she sat on a metal bar stool.

"Is that alcohol?"

She nodded. "It sure is, Artemis Fowl. DIVA Premium Vodka of Scotland." Athena held up the cylindrical bottle in the faint light. There were a strip of precious stones in the middle. She smiled to herself.

"I don't have much use for the diamonds, but the stuff around it is tolerable."

Artemis shook his head. "You're not….I believe the age of alcohol consumption in America is 21."

"That it is, Fowl."

"You are largely unimpressive," He remarked.

"And you are incredibly unconvincing, Orion."

The boy stepped back and narrowed his eyes.

"How did you know?"

"Your boy-genius act is pathetic," Athena lamented, "That, and you were trembling at the sight of me when you came into the kitchen."

"And now I'm not afraid of you, dragon," He said proudly.

She furrowed her brow. "Why is that?"

"You are very unimpressive," He repeated, "Artemis thinks you are as crazy as he is."

"Oh, so because I take a few shots of alcohol like a _normal _teenager, I'm crazy?" Athena demanded, "And shouldn't that make you more afraid of me anyway?"

"Artemis thinks you are weak."

She jumped up. "I think he's a pain in the ass—and you too, lover boy."

Just as she was ready to storm off to the solace of her room, a loud shot echoed through the house. Athena grabbed Artemis' arm and hurried out to the foyer.

Holly's Neutrino was smoking in the sudden light that flooded the room. Butler was down the stairs in a second—an impressive feat for his hulking frame.

"What's wrong?" Athena asked.

Holly was hovering above the stairs, but landed after retracting her wings.

"I heard some intruders. I took a few shots, but they disappeared as quickly as they came."

"I'll check the security tapes," She said, "Come with me."

They followed Athena to a familiar room filled with computers and gently whirring machines. She pulled up the tapes from minutes earlier.

Two small figures emerged out of the shadows below the stairs. They were obviously elves, with their short statures and ears, but hastily disappeared from the screen as the flash from Holly's Neutrino bounced through the foyer.

"I recognize them," Athena said, "Those two were the elves that kidnapped me."

"How did they get past your security?" Holly asked.

She massaged her temple. "It should be impossible." She glanced up and scanned the videos from outside the house. The two men appeared suddenly and shoved a square device into the keypad by the door.

"They've got some sort of portable hacking device," Holly said, leaning closer to the screen.

"Probably complements of Koboi Laboratories, again," Butler remarked, standing guard by the door.

Foaly's face popped onto the twenty-some screens lining the wall, and they jolted back.

"I just saw a security breech in your system, what happened?"

Athena threw both her hands up. "Opal Koboi used one of her gadgets to hack my system. And yours, too."

His face soured. "She must have gotten lucky."

"Let's stop it from happening again," Holly said, frowning, "Can't at least one of you geniuses track these guys?"

Athena went back to pecking at her keyboard, taking out one of the left hand screens of the centaur. He pouted.

"That's my good side!"

She ignored him. "I'm attempting to trace the address of the device they used. In order to hack the system, they had to leave ghost files—like a cookie trail." After a few moments, Athena furrowed her brow. "This doesn't make any sense."

"Nothing you do ever does," Foaly lamented.

If she could have, Holly would have hit the screen. "What is it?"

Athena motioned to her computer, where a blueprint of her house was pulsing in the darkness. "The signal is coming from my basement."

"So they left the device here?" Butler asked.

"Possibly," She replied, standing, "I'll go check."

"It's my turn to patrol," Butler said, following her, "I'm coming too."

Artemis was wandering listlessly around the room because Orion had retreated at the initial sound of gunshots that night. Holly latched firmly onto him as the two other disappeared down the stairs.

Athena led Butler to an ornate wooden door. The handle creaked in the silence surrounding them, followed by the squeak of wood as they descended the stairs. The basement had a musty smell that permeated the thick-as-soup air around them.

In the corner of the room, hidden behind wine racks and ill-used book shelves, was a gently pulsing light. The object their intruders had left seemed bigger than what they saw on the screen.

Butler waited by the door as Athena slowly approached the light.

"Can you see it?"

She crouched down, her voice breaking. "Yes…."

"Then let's take it upstairs to study it, come on."

When Athena didn't reply, he briskly approached her.

"Athena?"

She finally stood, her hand resting on her neck.

"We've got a problem."

Butler had heard that phrase enough in his lifetime her subsequent words didn't surprise him.

"It's a bomb."

* * *

Review!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Athena Woodbridge was a very intelligent American. To some people, like Artemis, 'intelligent American' was an oxymoron. Nonetheless, she had still proven to him and others that she did possess some genius capabilities. (Although she had lied when she told Artemis her IQ was 195—in actuality, it was a 'pathetic' 187.)

That being said, her genius did have weak points. She could not cook or play the piano to save her life. Ironically, Athena could also not diffuse all matter of bombs.

When she informed Butler of this, his stoic face became alarmed.

"What do you mean you can't 'diffuse this bomb'?"

"I can't do it," She repeated, "I don't know how."

"You haven't even looked at it yet, how can you know?" He demanded.

She flipped the top off to expose pulsing blue wires and inscriptions foreign to the bodyguard.

"It's a fairy bomb—or even better, a Koboi bomb. We need to get Artemis down here."

Butler had already calculated routes of escape for his young charge. "No. We need to evacuate to safety."

"I'm not going to let my house _explode_," Athena protested irritably, "Look, the clock's got at least ten minutes on it. Koboi obviously wants this to be a test more than a death sentence."

"I do not play games," Butler said sternly, grabbing her by her arm. To keep herself intact, Athena didn't protest.

"How about we bring Artemis down here and then if he can't figure out, we will leave, okay?"

"No."

"Maybe this kind of adrenaline will help him get his sanity back," She insisted, as he kicked open the door to the foyer.

"Prepare to evacuate, Holly!" He rumbled, "There is a bomb in the basement."

"It's really not _that _big a deal," Athena said, as Butler dropped her onto the tile floor.

"What kind of bomb?" Holly demanded, dragging Artemis down the marble stairs.

"One he can diffuse," She replied, pointing to the boy genius, "Come on."

Butler glanced at his watch, grimacing, but figured they had been in much worse trouble before.

"You have two minutes," He growled, "And then I'm taking Artemis out."

Athena hurried with the group back down to the basement. Foaly was jabbering through Holly's LEP helmet.

"Obviously _I _am the most qualified to deactivate that-,"

"How about you deactivate your mouth, pony boy," Athena snapped, "Before your lab is our next field trip."

Foaly grumbled under his breath, but the others were busy trying to coax Artemis into the dusty basement.

"Just imagine that this is a box full of fours," Holly said, and the boy shivered.

"In order to make the fours go away, we need to make the lights turn off," Athena continued, "Now diffuse the bomb, Artemis."

He sat with his hands buried in his raven colored hair. Holly's expression was crestfallen as he refused to acknowledge the device in front of him.

"It's no use," The elf said hastily, "We need to leave."

Athena glanced down and saw the clock hit three minutes. Depending on the size of the explosive, three minutes was just enough time to escape the blast radius.

"No," She said, "He needs to do this."

Athena grabbed him by his collar, and he yelped. She got nice and close to his face.

"Listen up, you half-ass excuse for a boyfriend, there is a _bomb _in my house. I need it to be diffused, right now. I know you, Artemis, and I know you are looking at me with your condescending genius, and I _know _you can do this. I don't give a damn about this Atlantis Complex—it's a mental disease, that's all. So stop being a coward and man up to this fairy guilt before we're all dead. Got it?"

"T-That was 79 words," He stammered.

"Which isn't divisible by four," She snapped back, "Now deactivate this god-damned bomb, Artemis Fowl!"

Artemis glanced down at the device, counting down innocently in the darkness. With one finger, he flipped up the panel. For a moment, he traced each wire with his eyes and then whimpered.

"I can't do it."

"Why?" Athena demanded.

He didn't respond, and Butler grabbed them both.

"Alright, time's up. We're leaving."

"Wait," She said abruptly, turning to Artemis.

"Do you know how to diffuse the bomb a-and you just don't _want _to?"

His eyes darkened. "Of course I can diffuse the bomb," Artemis said tartly.

She gave a wide smile, "Now that sounds like the Arts I remember."

Athena hurried over to a rusted tool box hidden among a litany of other discarded junk. After she came back with a pair of pliers, she snipped the fourth wire. The clock stopped, and the room gave a collective sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Artemis," She said.

Athena lugged the square device upstairs, creaking noisily on the wood stairs. She dropped it with a thump on the smooth tile of the foyer.

"This Koboi individual is rather resourceful," She commented.

"It doesn't make any sense," Holly said, shaking her head, "I mean, how could she possibly discover who you are and where you live so quickly?"

"You're right," Athena replied, "It doesn't fit."

"Where do we go next?" Butler asked, "It's obviously not safe here either."

Holly pulled out her communicator, grimacing. "You aren't going to like this."

"Why is that?"

Athena raised her hand, jumping up.

"Let me guess—we're going to _Atlantis_!"

The elf rolled her eyes.

"I hate how you are always right."

* * *

Holly was right, too. Butler did not like the idea of investigating the peculiar happenings of late. It was his job and his job only to protect Artemis, no matter the cost. That did not include an interrogation of Opal Koboi to discover her motives or methods of wrecking havoc. He was adamant they defect to the Fowl Manor where he could properly supervise Artemis, but knew his efforts were futile against Holly.

"Once I get permission from Trouble Kelp, we can take a shuttle to Haven, and then to Atlantis."

"This is incorrigibly exciting," Athena said, smiling despite the circumstances, "I am very interested to discover how-,"

"This is _not _a scientific field trip, Woodbridge," Holly interrupted sternly, "This is an effort to discover how Opal Koboi is getting to us so efficiently. In fact, I doubt I should even let you be tagging along."

She crinkled her nose in disdain. "Fine, leave me behind. I'm pretty sure I had a date anyway."

Butler snorted, but quickly regained his composure.

"It's true!" Athena said, glaring at him, "He is a very wealthy Chicago businessman who happens to be pursuing me, in case you're wondering."

"His net worth is probably miniscule compared to mine," Artemis commented, his clarity of mind short-lived.

"Yes, but your capacity for human emotion is _miniscule _compared to his."

"Boys don't like you."

"No, Arts," She said, putting a hand on her hip, "_You _don't like me."

"We've got permission for a shuttle, love birds," Holly interjected, "Let's go."

"Trouble really agreed to this?" Butler asked suspiciously.

"Not in so many words…" Holly replied sheepishly, then threw up her hand, "But that's not the point. We leave in an hour, sharp."

"I'm going to go make a phone call, then," Athena remarked, glaring at Artemis.

When he didn't respond, she stormed up the stairs, her flat shoes echoing as they slammed against the marble planks.

In reality, Athena was not all too excited about the young man, Junior, pursuing her. Yes, he was wealthy and tolerable to look at, but that was the end of her list of positives. They had met at a charity banquet in New York. He pounced on her like a lion on its prey—'we Chicagoans have to stick together, dear' he had told her. His father had been an incredibly wealthy businessman in the area, and his son had inherited all that wealth. It was only logical, then, that he would pursue the only other young, affluent girl in the city—her.

Other than his arrogance and his degrading opinion of her as a woman and a business person, he was also borderline—creepy? He knew a lot of things about her and asked a lot of questions. Her father, Jonathan, had assured her he was just investigating to protect his wealth if they were ever to become 'serious'.

The idea made her rather sick.

When she was out of earshot of 'the gang', Athena pulled out her phone and called him. He answered immediately.

"Athena, my goddess!"

She did not know how he could ever think calling her that was charming.

"Hi, Junior."

"I'm so glad to hear from you," He said, smiling through the phone, "We are on for tomorrow, aren't we? My driver said he would pick up at six o'clock sharp—and I won't take no for an answer! A woman like you, driving all the way to see me?" He laughed.

She clenched her jaw. "My call is about our….date. Unfortunately, I can't make it. You see, my father called for me just a few minutes ago, and I need to go see him."

"Oh my, is he alright?" Junior asked, using an uncaring tone she thought was reserved for 19th century socialites.

"He's fine."

"Let me come along to see the old man, why don't you?" He suggested, "I won't take no for an answer!"

Athena crinkled her nose at his aggression. "No, Junior, I really should go by myself."

"Are you sure you can handle it?"

"Yes," She replied carefully, although her fists were clenched.

"Then we'll reschedule—how about next week? I've been dying to see you."

It took all the power in the world for her to not scream 'hell no' into the phone.

"Next week sounds great. I'll see you then."

Athena hastily hung up before he could espouse another lame pet name for her. She stuffed her phone into her suit pocket and wondered why she put up with Junior's arrogant crap.

Because at least he seems like he's interested in you, she reminded herself, unlike Artemis Fowl.

Speaking of other arrogant pricks, Artemis had appeared in the shadowy room right after she had hung up her phone.

"I didn't know you were in here," He remarked.

"What do you need?" She asked, still harboring some of her irritation.

He motioned to his own communication device. "I was just going to contact my brothers, Myles and Beckett."

Athena flipped on the lights. "You're welcome to use any room you like. I'm sure they miss you."

She caught a hint of sanity in his expression. "They want me to come home."

"You'll fix this, Arts, don't worry."

He paused, his next words obviously a struggle for him.

"Thank you for your 'tough love' psychology tactics earlier. Although you were unnecessarily rude and vulgar, it did seem to help."

"Anytime," She replied, grinning, "Really. I kind of liked it."

He turned to his phone, typing commands into the screen with his bony fingers.

"You made that yourself?" Athena asked.

"I invented a custom graphics interface for my brothers and I to chat using mobile screens," He explained, gesturing to the tiny device.

She nodded. "So, it's like iPhone Face Time but not a piece of shit?"

"What?"

"Never mind."

Athena left Artemis to converse with his probably adorable twin brothers. She forced herself to not be fooled by this glimpse of humanity in him.

Once everyone was gathered downstairs, Holly herded them all into Athena's jet set on course to Ireland. The LEP captain was a little nervous, truthfully, because Trouble had been rather explicit about the group _not _venturing down to Atlantis to talk to the imprisoned Opal Koboi.

But Trouble liked her—that _was_ explicit—and what was the worst that could happen?

Which was funny, because that question backfired on her almost always when Artemis Fowl was involved.

* * *

A rather quick update! Hooray!


	5. Chapter 5

_Artemis' Mind_

Orion had taken over. Again.

It was ridiculous, really, that his insolent little alternate personality took the liberty so frequently of destroying his reputation. He was _the _Artemis Fowl, and Orion was doing a very poor job of keeping that statement intact.

Artemis rested his chin on his palm, slumping uncharacteristically in his office chair. Orion was blabbering on to Athena about how unimpressive she was.

The girl was mostly ignoring him, but eventually jerked her head so violently around her hair fell out of place from her ear.

"You are eight words away from having my foot shoved down your throat, asshole."

Artemis shivered because eight was a multiple of four, and Athena never stopped cursing. Orion had turned away to serenade Holly before he could get a good look at her.

He almost—_almost—_wished he was coherent enough to have a conversation with Athena about her thoughts on how to cure him of his tiresome mental disease. She was decently smart, and nothing else anyone had tried seemed to be working. Perhaps, together, they could brainstorm a solution.

And then she'd leave (probably to go see that imaginary boyfriend of hers), which would be great.

Orion was approaching Holly too closely now, and had to be restrained by Butler. She just smiled at him, shaking her head, but the expression in her eyes was pained.

He wanted desperately to get back to normal, so he could begin to communicate with his friends again. The old Artemis would never admit it, but he missed them.

That, and they were doubtful to ever figure out what Opal Koboi was up to without his help. He _was _the genius of the lot, after all.

Artemis laughed to himself at the thought of what Foaly would say to that.

* * *

On their way to Atlantis, Athena had trained herself to ignore the needless taunts of Orion Fowl and focus on the scenery sprawled out past her shuttle window. She was aghast at what the fairy people had accomplished. Atlantis? It was a miracle.

No one else seemed to be impressed with the underwater city, and tensions only rose as they floated closer to the prison.

"Security has doubled since Turnball Root choreographed his escape," Holly explained, as they docked and unclipped themselves after reaching the safe, airy inside of the fairy haven. "It's not anything compared to Opal Koboi's level of clearance, of course."

The group walked down a narrow runway into the main hall of the prison. They were led by a group of water fairies into a separate portion of the building.

Opal Koboi's cell was a huge metal cube, with 3 doors and titanium supports. It hung menacingly in the center of the room, constantly surrounded by guards, microphones, and cameras.

Holly turned to the teenagers.

"You kids stay out here. I'm taking Butler with me. He's rather intimidating."

"I'm going to complain on behalf of Artemis for calling us _kids_," Athena said dryly, "We're 20."

"And I'm quite a few decades older than that, so listen to your elders," Holly replied, as she motioned Butler to the door that dissolved as they approached.

"I will wait for you, my love!" Orion called after the elf as she disappeared.

Athena crossed her arms over her chest, pouting.

"I need a drink."

"You need rehabilitation for your crippling alcohol addiction."

"Shut up, Orion. Or Artemis. Or whatever lunatic you've embodied today."

"You will never silence my love for Holly!"

She raised her eyebrow. "You'd think you'd have less of an infatuation with her considering she's four decades older and two feet shorter than you."

He prodded her arm like she was a biology experiment, crouching down and narrowing his eyes.

"You sound jealous."

Athena jerked away from his touch. "No, I sound logical. But you're crazy, so you wouldn't understand that."

Orion stuck out his tongue at her, and she winked.

"Haven't seen that in a while."

His eyes widened, and he peddled back.

"Artemis is disgusted by your insinuation."

"Tell him to grow up."

Athena glanced over at the closely guarded door in front of them.

"This is ridiculous. I did not come all the way to _Atlantis _to be your babysitter. I want to meet Opal Koboi."

Orion started prattling about dragons, glaring at her, but she ignored him. Athena scooted her scuffed black shoes across the floor in hopes of looking inconspicuous.

Fortunately, Artemis suddenly shouting about one of his hallucinations distracted most of the guards. The door dissolved once she reached it.

Miss Koboi's room was an empty, metal plated void. There was one bed and one table nailed to the ground. Holly, and especially Butler, were the only splash of color in the vicinity.

They were surrounding a small fairy, chained to the bed, with long black hair and a cunning smile. Her eyes shifted over to Athena as she stood at the edge of the room.

"Who is she?"

Holly jerked around. "What are you doing here?" Her gaze was also demanding where Artemis was.

She raised her hand. "Don't freak out, everything's fine. I have some questions."

Athena trotted across the room and bent down directly in front of Opal.

"Do you have any idea who I am?"

The prisoner gave a wicked smile.

"Artemis Fowl's girlfriend?"

She snorted. "Ex-girlfriend, if you really must know."

Opal gave a cackling laugh, bouncing on the thin mattress of her bed.

"That's rich—Mud Boy with a lover. Ha!"

Holly grabbed Athena by her collar and pulled her back.

"What are you doing?" She growled.

"She has no idea who I am," Athena said, "And by the level of security around here, I don't think she'll be escaping any time soon."

"That's what you think, stupid human!" Opal shrieked, "I've done it before!"

"You're a nutcase."

"I'm a genius, a mastermind—all powerful!"

"You have no magic, Koboi," Holly said, regarding her with irritation, "We can give you a truth serum and have you singing if you don't tell us the truth."

Opal smiled. "Holly Short, always getting down to business. Like when you killed Julius Root without hesitation, remember that?"

"Don't tempt me to shoot you," She said, struggling to keep a level head.

"Oh, poor thing," Opal replied, faking sadness, "It's okay, this Mud Girl is just as downtrodden as you."

"What are you talking about?" Athena asked.

"You still love, love, love Artemis Fowl!"

She threw her hand up. "Don't be ridiculous. You don't even know me."

"But, oh, Artemis does not love you," Koboi continued, making her shackles shake against the frame of her bed, "He thinks you are so….unimpressive."

Athena's look of frustration faded to icy disbelief.

"I am very impressive."

Opal gave a condescending laugh. "Why? Because your IQ is around what—185? How pathetic."

"What's pathetic is you playing off the fact that you have _no idea_ who I am," Athena shot back tersely.

"Are you sure about that?"

She stepped closer to her, jaw clenched.

"What's my name?"

Holly intervened again, her small hand using a surprising amount of force to yank her backwards.

"Butler, escort her out. _Now_."

Athena begrudgingly left the room out of fear of the hulking troll-slaying bodyguard. As she stepped out of the door, Opal's voice followed her.

"Goodbye, Athena."

The American stumbled out, grumbling under her breath. That Koboi was a creepy character. Obsessive—crazy, even. Genius.

Orion was being restrained by two annoyed-looking guards. She smirked at them.

"I'll take him from here, boys, thank you."

Athena took a firm grip on his forearm and pulled him near her.

"I need to speak to Artemis."

"He's not available right now, dragon."

She squeezed, digging her nails into the soft fabric of his suit.

"I am in a foul mood, Orion. I swear to God, I will-,"

Before she could finish her sentence, Artemis' placid expression had changed into one she was used to seeing.

"I'm glad to see I still scare someone."

Artemis squirmed out of her grasp. "What is it you need?"

"I don't think Opal Koboi is behind all of this."

"What makes you say that?"

Athena glanced around. "Have you seen this place? It's a fortress. And sure, Koboi knew who I was, but any research on you would have made my name appear."

"That's a frightening thought," Artemis said, grimacing.

She rolled her eyes. "That wasn't my point. Someone is obviously trying to plant red herrings to diffuse the blame from them."

"Any idea who this 'someone' is?" He asked sarcastically.

"I'd imagine your list of enemies is longer than my criminal record, so no."

Butler and Holly stormed out before Artemis could give a response. Butler's face was placid, but Holly was clearly annoyed.

"You and Artemis are perfect for each other, you know that?"

Athena rolled her eyes. "Why?"

"You _never _do what you are told."

"I just wanted to know if your little friend Koboi actually knew who I was. Ironically enough, she _doesn't_. Ergo, she's not responsible for this mess we're in."

"She knew your name," Butler said, furrowing his brow, "How could she not know who you were?"

"She's a genius. She did some research, made a guess, and got it right."

"This has Koboi written all over it," Holly protested, "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"She can say she knows me all she wants, but her expression-,"

"Enough, Mud Girl," The elf interrupted tersely, "I don't care who's behind these little pranks. Since he's out, we can take Artemis to visit his family. After that, it's back to the Psych Brotherhood. Since we're not safe anywhere, we're better off closer to the Police Plaza."

Athena crinkled her nose in disdain, but kept her protests at bay.

"Fine. I'd appreciate being dropped off in Chicago."

Holly waved her hand to guide them out.

"Of course, we wouldn't want you to be late for your date."

* * *

They reached the crisp, open air in no time, bumping quietly along in a shuttle too small for Butler's immense stature. Artemis was uncharacteristically silent—to the pleasure of those around him—as they flew from the ocean to the land ahead.

To an innocent bystander, it would seem like Athena materialized in mid-air in her back yard, stumbling and waving.

"Please, don't let me hear from you again."

"We'll find another way to keep Orion away," Holly said, as she grasped the door handle to shut it, "Artemis will get better."

Athena smiled slightly. "Oddly enough, I hope so. You can call me if you _really _need my help."

"Trust me, we won't."

Athena didn't even make it a full day without getting another frantic phone call from the people who 'wouldn't need her'.

Holly's voice was strained and from the screen, Athena could see the elf's face was taunt with worry.

"We have a very big problem."

Athena threw her hand up. "You people go from one crisis to the next. Or this, like the other thing, isn't that big of a deal."

"We can't find Artemis."

She furrowed her brow. "What do you mean 'you can't find' him?"

"He has been kidnapped or lost or _something_!"

"Whoa, hold on," She said hastily, "It's….It's going to be fine. Butler has got enough tracking on-,"

"That isn't the point!" Holly interrupted angrily, "We can _find _him, of course, but we have no idea who has taken him."

"Opal Koboi seems to be the answer to any question worded that way so-,"

She shook her head, her short hair fraying outwards. "It was a human."

"I didn't do it."

Holly glared at her. "I know that. Who did?"

"Why are you asking _me_?" Athena remarked incredulously.

"Because whoever _did_ take Artemis is on their way to America."

"Oh, so I'm supposed to be the expert on the some 300 million people in the US? Great."

Athena spoke again before Holly could reply. "Also, what does 'take Artemis' even mean? Where was Butler in all of this?"

Holly buried her small hand in her face. "It's hard to keep tabs on Artemis at home. He disappears suddenly—off to fight fours or something. Butler and I were gone for ten seconds tops, and he wanders off past the gates. A car swooped in and he vanished. Whoever has him was on a plane within ten minutes."

"I'm sure he will be fine," Athena said, "Whoever has 'kidnapped' him is obviously an idiot. So, think of any enemies Artemis has—human only—who would want revenge on him."

"We've checked everyone out," Holly insisted, "They're either in jail, dead or crazy."

"Start with in jail then," She suggested, "That's always a relative term."

"Jon Spiro is hardly on our list of priorities right now. He's in jail _and_ crazy."

Athena's face fell, but she reined herself in before she began stammering listlessly.

"I have a lot of things to tell you in a short amount of time."

Holly was alarmed by her expression. "What's wrong? Do you know who did this?"

Athena was in her surveillance room and did not miss the hulking mass barreling towards her door. His blonde hair was shaven close on his head and his expression was rabid.

"You can come quietly, dear, to save us a lot of trouble."

"Who was that?" Holly demanded sharply, "I recognize that accent. Did you have something to do with all this?"

Athena hurried over to the door, shoving her chair under the knob.

"Not intentionally, if it's any consolation."

"What is going on? Where is Artemis?"

"Artemis is on his way here, to Chicago," She explained hastily. Footsteps descended the marble stairs.

"Listen, I don't have much time, but if you and Butler come quickly, we should be fine."

"_We_? You're with Artemis now?" Holly's worried expression had turned exacerbated and angry.

"I'll see him before you will," She said, squeaking and jumping back as the door was bashed in from the outside. Wood chips flew everywhere.

"Are you okay?"

"Not likely," Athena replied, stumbling backwards. A hand punched its way through the door and fumbled with the chair.

"You remember that boyfriend of mine, Junior?" She asked.

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Holly snapped.

Athena dropped the communicator as the smiling man pointed a gun at her.

"Junior is Jon Spiro's son."

* * *

Review!


End file.
